Shades of Grey
by Punk.is.Awesome
Summary: Evil isn't born; it's created. He was the darkest wizard the world would see, and she was just another girl. He was incapable of love, and all she wanted was to be loved in return. Not everything is as plain as black and white. TR/OC
1. Edge of the Earth

**Edge of the Earth**

_You know enough to know the way  
Six billion people just one name_

* * *

Two, straight lines of first years were led out though the main doors of the Great Hall. All heads in the large room were automatically fixed on them as they were lead up the centre by Professor McKenzie, the latest charms teacher; a tall, strict-looking woman who had a no-nonsense air about her.

An old, ragged hat was placed on a small wooden stool as the first years began to gather in a cluster at the front in their new uniforms. It seemed that everyone was focused on the hat, so the first years began to stare at it as well.

A crease in the hat opened, and, to the shock of those first years, it began to sing.

'The founders, they were best friend.  
I've seen none better that those four.  
A school they built, together,  
That one that no one could abhor.

Said Gryffindor, 'Let's make a school  
For those brave and pure of heart.  
But Ravenclaw wanted those with brains,  
Those wise and those smart.

Slytherin picked those cunning,  
With qualities he had.  
And Hufflepuff, he took the rest,  
Such a kind and carefree lad.

They built the finest magic school,  
For students, an array.  
They called the school Hogwarts,  
And here we are today!

So that is how Hogwarts,  
This fine, old school came to be.  
Now put me on, and I shall tell you  
Where you ought to be!'

The seemingly never-ending roof of the Great Hall was lifted with the thunderous applause, leaving a few gob smacked first years staring at the hat wondering how it spoke; the muggle borns, most likely.

Professor McKenzie stood up behind the hat and addressed the first years as she had done many times before. 'When I call your name, I want you to come up and put the Sorting hat on! Avery, Caspian.' A small, sandy-haired boy walked up with poise, in an indifferent manor.

'Slytherin!' the Sorting Hat called to the hall as soon as the hat hit his head.

In the shadows, only a few metres away from the action, there was a rather small figure standing watching. It was almost as if she was invisible to everyone else in the large room, as no one spared her a glance. Her straight, dark brown hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall or malted chocolate, and was straightened to perfection. It framed her face perfectly, while a section of hair formed a small side fridge. Like everyone else, she wore a uniform, her green and silver tie standing out against the black robes that clung onto her figure.

She watched with interest, as every few names a familiar one came up, which caused her to pay even more attention to those people.

'Riddle, Tom!' Professor McKenzie called, causing the girl to advance slowly forward towards the fair-haired boy, who walked towards the stool with a confidence that didn't seem to belong to the situation, almost as if he already knew that answer that he was seeking.

'Slytherin!' the hat boomed before it had touched his head, causing Tom to smirk as he made his way down the hall to the Slytherin table, where the gang of followers he had already collected were sitting, waiting for him.

**[X**

Iris found herself thrown onto the ground; a rather rough landing. On her four-poster bed lay a small, black marble bowl filled with a silvery substance; her pensive. The dormitory was empty now, but when she awoke had been full of her sleeping roommates. The only signs of life, other than the girl lying on the floor, were the unmade beds and various discarded items of clothing waiting to be cleaned up by the house elves.

Picking herself up from the ground, she brushed a few creases out of her school skirt before leaving the room. Swiftly, she left the familiar Slytherin Common Room and headed towards the Great Hall for breakfast.

The Great Hall hadn't changed since her first day at Hogwarts, with the exception of the ever-changing roof overhead. As usual, she took her seat between Eileen Prince and Aimee Burke, who were unusually awake for the hour.

'Morning,' she greeted, stifling a yawn.

'Hey, Iris!' Eileen greeted, her usual grin plastered over her face. 'You're up early this morning.'

'Couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to put my pensive to good use,' Iris explained.

'Sounds like fun,' Aimee added, subconsciously staring down the Slytherin table as she ate her food.

'Looking at Riddle again?' Eileen asked with a menacing laugh hidden in her voice.

'Sorry Eileen,' Aimee said, turning away. 'I just can't help it! You know that Iris is the only girl in the school that can't keep their eyes off him!'

'Eyes off who?' Caspian Avery asked with a smug expression, squeezing in between Eileen and Iris.

'They were talking about Riddle, if you must know,' Iris replied.

'Well everyone knows that Iris doesn't have her eyes on Riddle, because they're always on me,' Caspian said, slipping his arm around her shoulder in one, fluid motion as he managed to squeeze in between Iris and Eileen on the bench, much to the girls displeasure.

'In your dreams, Avery,' Iris said, shrugging his arm off her shoulder and shifting down the bench.

'You know it! Want to go to Hogsmeade with me at the weekend?'

'If I say yes will you quit harassing me?'

'Of course I would!'

'Then fine; I'll go,' she said reluctantly.

With a smirk on his face, Caspian stood up and joined his friends further up the table. She could hear some rather loud, excited whispering coming from the group of boys Caspian had just joined, but chose to ignore them, not wanting to know the subject of their conversation.

'You said yes?' Aimee asked, despite the fact that she had been listening to the conversation; she was looking for confirmation from Iris herself, unable to believe what she had just heard.

'Yes. I said yes,' Iris replied slowly, taking her words in. 'Why did I say yes!?!'

'Because you wanted him to stop asking you out _every_ day?' Eileen offered.

'Because you secretly want to go, despite what you've said?' Aimee said.

'Aimee, what's in that cereal you're eating?' Iris asked. 'Because you are absolutely nuts!'

'Sorry,' Aimee mumbled.

'Potions, anyone?' Eileen asked, getting up.

The three girls left the Great Hall together, followed closely by a small group of boys.

'Go on in!' Professor Slughorn greeted the small group of seventh years gathered outside his classroom.

The small group seventh years entered the classroom in an orderly fashion and began to sit down at the desk, two to a desk. The three Slytherin girls were last to enter and found themselves with a problem; there were only three seats left, one beside Caspian Burke, one beside Tom Riddle and one beside a Hufflepuff none of them knew. Aimee headed automatically towards the Hufflepuff, taking the safe option, as she did not want to sit beside Caspian and knew that Eileen would certainly kill her if she sat beside Tom.

'Don't make me sit beside Avery!' Iris hissed to Eileen, who reluctantly answered.

'Fine, I will! But you owe me big time!'

The look on Caspian's face fell as Eileen sat down beside him and Iris continued towards the other free chair nearer the front of the room.

'Can I sit here?' Iris asked to be polite; though she planned on sitting there regardless of the answer she received.

'Sure,' Tom replied nonchalantly without taking his eyes of the blackboard where their work was being written with a levitated piece of chalk.

'Welcome back after a long summer!' Slughorn boomed, smiling as he saw some of his favourite students sitting in front of him. 'Your work in on the board. Work in your pairs. You have one hour!'

'I'll get the ingredients, and you can set up,' Tom ordered. His voice showed power she had never heard and she didn't particularly like it, but followed his orders nonetheless.

The pair worked in silence, each working at their own particular tasks without conferring with the other. Around them, other pairs were laughing and joking as they worked, but a stony silence lingered over Iris and Tom.

'You were early for breakfast this morning . . . considering,' Tom said out of the blue, causing Iris to stop slicing her gurdyroot, the knife dropping onto the bench with a small 'clang'.

'What's that supposed to mean?' she spat as soon as she had regained control over herself.

'Nothing; merely a passing comment,' he replied with buoyancy.

'You're not like other girls,' he said again, this time looking up from his work to watch her slice the gurdyroots in front of her viciously into thin strips. 'No,' he continued after a short pause where she remained silent. 'You're very different. Not over confident, and certainly not just another idiot.'

'Thanks?' Iris said with a small laugh. 'You really are perplexing Tom.'

At the sound of her laugh, his lips turned into a small smile that could easily be mistook for his trademark smirk.

'Shit,' Iris whispered, breaking the short silence. Their potion was slowly turning a darker shade of green, instead of the midnight blue it should be.

'Add the gurdyroots!' Tom ordered in the same tone he had used earlier, and she quickly did, careful not to drop any. Their potion turned a light blue, which again turned to the midnight blue it should have been almost instantly.

'Sorry, I wasn't paying attention,' she said quietly.

'Then you're lucky you have me,' he replied smugly, the beautiful moment they had shared ruined with a simple, snide comment.

'I'll see you around, Riddle,' Iris said as the bell rang, stowing her books in her bag and thrusting it on her shoulder before leaving him to bottle a sample for Slughorn and clean up.

**[X**

It wasn't until that evening when Iris saw Tom again. She had tried to avoid him, which had proved difficult considering she shared a lot of classes with him, but somehow managed to stay out of his way.

After dinner the Slytherin Common Room was full of students starting their homework or just relaxing after dinner.

'Oi! Iris,' Tom called, pushing past some younger students to the couch in front of the fire she was sitting on with Eileen by her side and Aimee on an armchair beside them.

'Yes?' she asked innocently.

'You left me to clean up in potions!' he simply said, towering over her in an attempt to look intimidating.

'Sorry; I guess I was in a rush to get somewhere.'

'Don't mock me,' he said seriously. His tone softened as he spoke again 'Look, can I talk to you?'

'Talk away.'

'In private?'

Slowly, she rose from her seat. 'I'll be back in a minute,' she told her friends, before following his out of the common room and into a nearby empty classroom. She sat on the clear teachers desk at the front, her legs hanging over the edge, hitting the hard wood to form some sort of rhythm.

'Do you want to go to Hogsmeade?' he asked as he sat on a table in the front row. The upfront approach had always been his favourite method when he wanted something, not wanting to beat around the bush unless for fun.

Iris merely blinked in disbelief. Tom Riddle, the most sought after boy in Hogwarts, was asking her to go to Hogsmeade with him!

'I –' she stuttered, unsure of what to say, but she managed to make a full sentence on her second attempt. 'I said I'd go with Avery . . .'

'Avery? Caspian?' he repeated in disbelief. 'But you hate him!'

'I know, but he said he'd leave me alone if I said yes, and after two years of invites to Hogsmeade I was running out of plausible excuses and it was just getting annoying.'

'I understand,' he said quietly and slowly.

'Sorry,' she whispered, before slowly getting up and leaving him alone in the room to brood over his thoughts.

**[X**

It was the weekend. Finally. As usual, Iris woke up earlier on Saturday morning than the Slytherin's in the dormitory. Quickly, she got dressed, and entered the Common Room to find it empty. The fire was already lit, so she decided to make use of it's warmth and curled up in a large, overstuffed armchair beside it.

Her thoughts began to drift to the day that lay in front of her, and the prospect of an afternoon spent with Avery. But, now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Avery very much since he asked her out. In fact, she had only seen him very briefly in the corridors a few times since he'd asked her on Monday.

_Weird. But he must have a good reason . . ._

'Mornin' Iris,' a voice behind her said; the familiar voice of Tom Riddle.

'Morning Tom,' she replied as he sat down in the armchair next to hers, stretching out in front of the fire.

'You're up early,' he commented.

'Yeah, I tend to get up early at the weekends, but sleep in late of weekdays, unless of course I have nowhere to go. Ah, the irony!' She laughed as she spoke, shaking her head slightly as she did so, causing her soft, chocolate brown curls to cascade out of the loose ponytail it was fastened in and down her back.

'You curled you hair,' he said again, only noticing that her, usually straight hair, now fell in ringlets as it fell out of it's bind. 'It's nice.'

'Thanks,' she replied quietly, then decided to try to spark a conversation. 'Going to Hogsmeade today?'

'Yeah, I have to get a few things for school and stuff,' he said, mumbling the last bit. 'Still going?'

'Yep, but I haven't seen Avery around a lot. Have you? Is he sick, or something?' Her voice sounded hopeful as she said the last sentence, but her face showed no emotions.

Tom was silent for a moment, almost as if he was carefully choosing his words. 'No, I haven't seen much of him either. I suspect he's been busy with school work, that's all.'

His explanation seemed good enough for Iris, who just shrugged it off before continuing.

'Do you know if he still plans on going to Hogsmeade? Or if he's too busy?'

'I think he said something last night about having homework and not being able to go, but I'm not too sure. I might have misheard. Sorry.'

'Don't worry about it; if he's not at the gates at two I'll go by myself,' she explained, though by her tone he could tell that she didn't like the thought of being stood up – even if it was by Avery.

**[X**

Iris was waiting by the Hogwarts gates at ten to two, the time they had planned to meet up, with the intentions of waiting for only ten minutes. Happy couples walked past her hand in hand along with laughing groups of friends, no one sparing her a glance. She was oddly jealous of all the groups, however big or small, it was just the company she yearned.

'May I escort my lady to the fine village of Hogsmeade?'

Irish turned around to see Tom in an awkward bow that made him look even more handsome that imaginable. As he rose, he took her hand and placed a single kiss on the back of it before taking it in his.

'It would be my honour,' she replied with a smile, following him as he led her out of the gates and down the path towards the fairly small village of Hogsmeade.

They walked in silence most of the way there, and it wasn't until they were passing the first few houses on the outskirts of the village that a conversation started.

'Avery didn't show up?' Tom asked sounding unsure of whether or not to bring the subject up.

'No,' she replied matter-of-factly. 'But I can't say I mind too much.'

'Want to get a drink?'

'Sure.'

He led her though the main street of Hogsmeade, ignoring the multitude of evil glared Iris was receiving from the Hogwarts girls that spotted the couple walking hand-in-hand. Eventually, they stopped outside the Hogs Head; not a pub Iris could say she had been in before, but Tom seemed to be pretty familiar with it, so she followed him inside.

There was a lingering smell of filth, which she noticed immediately, and the small pub was filled with a strange, and very unsettling, array of people. By the time she had let it all sink in, Tom was already at the bar ordering drinks.

She took a seat at a free table near the door and waited him to return, which didn't take too long.

A cloudy glass was set in front of her before To took the seat across from her, setting his drink in front of himself.

'What is it?' Iris asked quietly looking at the substance in the glass in front of her.

_It certainly isn't butterbeer._

'Firewhiskey,' he replied, taking a large gulp from his glass.

'What a great example out Head Boy is showing; drinking alcohol while at Hogsmeade.'

'You're not my mother!' Tom said, obviously bypassing the joke and taking her comment seriously. 'Anyway, I'm of age.'

'Let's just drop the subject,' Iris said quietly, embarrassed by the stares his outburst gained them, and she took a large mouthful of her drink to keep him happy. As she swallowed it seemed to burn her throat, leaving behind a tingling sensation, but also caused her to choke on it, leading to a large outburst of heavy, throat splitting coughs. She could feel Tom pat her on the back harder that was necessary, obviously uneducated in the form of caring for people.

'I'm fine!' she choked, coughing one last time before pushing the drink away from her.

'Not a firewhiskey person?' Tom asked, clearly amused.

'And here was me thinking that was obvious,' Iris replied sourly.

She was starting to wonder if it was such a good idea going to Hogsmeade with Tom, as opposed to going alone and getting back to Hogwarts as quickly as she could.

'Can we just go?' she asked quietly.

'Sure,' he replied softly, rising from his chair before offering her a hand to get up, which she took graciously. He didn't release her hand as she rose, merely held it in his as they walked back out into the main street of Hogsmeade. 'Where do you want to go?'

'Well, I'd like a few new quills; the quill shop in Diagon Alley isn't as good as this one,' she replied.

'The quill shop it is!'

She spent twenty minutes browsing the large display of quill, before deciding on a peacock quill, an eagle one and a few cheep quills for schoolwork, as well as a few different colours of ink, before she headed up to the counter with those things she planned on buying.

'That's . . . a galleon and seven sickles,' the woman behind the counter replied. She reached into her bag to retrieve the money she was looking for when Tom, who stood behind her, placed it on the counter.

'You don't have to,' she said quietly.

'But I _want_ to,' he replied, giving the woman a look that told her to hurry up.

They left the shop together, Iris's punches safely tucked away in her bag.

'It's getting late; I have to get back,' she told him. 'I have a few things to do before dinner.'

'I'll come with you,' he said as she started to walk down the road on her own.

'You don't have to. Anyway, you said you have things to get this morning.'

'Yes, but I don't want to leave you to walk back alone.'

'I'm a big girl, Tom,' she said with a laugh. 'Seventeen, nearly eighteen. I think I can walk back to Hogwarts on my own. Don't feel you have to drop everything for me because I'm a girl, because I'm not exactly defenceless.'

He listened in silence, before saying, rather reluctantly, 'Fine. But I won't be long. Meet me for dinner?'

'It's a date,' she replied, starting to walk backwards a few steps, but stopped quickly as she stumbled on the uneven path. She turned around and walked down the street, following the small groups Ravenclaw's, who were also making their ways back to the castle.


	2. Saying Sorry

_These colors will not change,  
you change the way I see them_

_**Saying Sorry  
Hawthorne Heights**_

* * *

'You remembered,' Iris said with a smile as Tom sat down in front of her at dinner that night.

'How could I forget,' he replied suavely. 'I had a nice time today,' he said quietly after a minute or two of silence, almost as if he were ashamed to admit it.

'So did I,' Iris said with a smile.

'Let's go somewhere quieter,' he said; it was not a request, but an order.

'Okay,' she said in reply, letting his lead her out of the Great Hall and out of the main doors of Hogwarts where the pair sat quietly on the stone steps the lead to the door they had just exited from.

With a small shiver, Iris shuffled closer to Tom in an attempt to find warmth, something he wasn't used to, but accepted nonetheless.

'It's a nice night,' Iris offered timidly.

'Yes, it is.'

'Thanks for going to Hogsmeade with me today and for everything. I was getting sick of going alone, or being a third wheel.'

'I had fun, so don't worry. . . I was wondering, if you weren't doing anything of course, do you want to go with me to Slughorn's annual Christmas party? I'm in the 'Slug Club', and I'm allowed to bring a guest . . . If you don't' want to, I understand.'

'I'd love to go!' Iris replied with a smile. 'I've never been to one of his parties before. I'm not good enough at anything to be invited and I don't have family in high places.'

'It's a date,' he said, liking how the words sounded as they rolled off his tongue. 'I'm glad you said yes,' he whispered after a minute of quiet was shared between the two.

'So am I,' Iris whispered in reply, moving closer to him on the step. 'You could ask any girl you wanted to; why me?'

'. . .I like you, Iris,' he replied slowly as he realised that for the first time in his life he cared for someone other that himself, and he liked it; not how vulnerable it left him feeling, but the butterflies that rolled around in his stomach when she was near. It was something new to him.

'I . . . I like you too, Tom.'

Slowly, he leaned in, before he placed a soft, feathery kiss on her lips and quickly pulled away.

'I'll see you later,' he said quickly, standing up and hurrying back indoors, unsure of what emotion had just taken control of him, though thankfully it had not taken total rule of him mind. Did he regret his actions, however small and innocent they may seem to some? No, he didn't, he just regretted leaving when he did.

**X**

'How was Hogsmeade?' Eileen pestered that night, sitting on the edge of Iris's bed with Aimee beside her.

'It was okay,' Iris replied vaguely, still trying to wrap her head around the scene she had been a part of at dinnertime. 'Caspian didn't turn up, actually.'

'Really?' Aimee pestered. 'Then who was it Sarah – you know, in sixth year – saw going into the Hogs Head with you?'

'Err . . . Tom,' Iris said quietly, all too certain about Eileen's feelings towards their classmate.

'You went to Hogsmeade with Tom Riddle?' Eileen repeated in disbelief. From the look on her face it was obvious that she was waiting for either of the other two to tell her it was a joke, but when no such thing happened she was forced to accept the truth. 'How could you? You're supposed to be my friend and you know that I like him!'

'I know, but we only went as friends . . .' Iris argued weakly.

'But Sarah said that she saw you two out on the steps outside the Entrance Hall at dinner time,' Aimee decided to add, making matters much worse. 'And she says you two looked pretty cosy!'

'Cosy!' Eileen almost shouted, her face turning red with anger. 'Iris, how could you?! I thought you were supposed to be my friend . . .'

'Would you quit jumping to conclusions, Eileen! I _am_ your friend, you're just overreacting!' Iris shot back, falling back onto her bed, though misjudging the distance between herself and the wall, consequentially hitting her head on the wall.

'Overreacting?' Eileen repeated after a few deep breaths, her voice sounding calmer, though it was obvious that the anger was still there. She thrust herself up off the bed and swept over to the door. 'Traitor . . .' she whispered before leaving, slamming the door behind her.

'Don't worry about her,' Aimee said after an uncomfortable silence fell over the room. 'She'll calm down and see sense soon.'

'It wasn't my fault though!' Iris said, rubbing the back of the head where it connected with the wall less that a minute ago. 'You made it worse that it was.'

'Oi! Don't shoot the messenger; that's just what Sarah told me,' she argued, pouting playfully before a pillow collided with her face, wiping her pout off. 'I said not to shot me!'

'That was a pillow, not a bullet,' Iris said with a smirk. 'Anyway, I'll see you later! I'm going to the library to finish that potions homework.'

'Bye,' Aimee called, throwing the pillow at the door as it closed quietly behind Iris.

**X**

'You out late.'

Iris jumped as she heard a voice behind her. She had assumed that the corridors would be quite as there was only ten minutes until curfew was in place, but as a prefect she had an excuse to be out late so it didn't matter.

'You do know curfew starts in ten minutes?' the voice asked. The arrogance in the tone was familiar to her, as she turned around to have the speaker.

'Yes, I do, Tom,' she replied matter-of-factly. 'But since curfew doesn't start for ten minutes, and you have no reason to believe that I'm doing anything against the rules, then you have no reason to stop me in the corridors.'

'Who said that I have no reason to believe that you're up to no good, Miss Leclair?' he replied, his amusement at the situation he had her in obvious in his face.

'Touché, Mr Riddle. So what am I in trouble for?'

'For disrupting the peaceful state of the Common Room at this late hour.'

'Contrary to your belief, I'm afraid that I'm not in the Common Room at this present moment of time. I believe that this is called a corridor.'

'You wit is rather entertaining, but I was referring to the goings on in your dormitory around the minutes ago, every word of which could be heard in the Common Room, much to those trying to relax, and I shall presume your, dismay.'

For a moment, Iris was lost for words, unsure if he was provoking her for a reaction by lying or telling the truth. 'E-every word?' she repeated in disbelief.

'Every word until the slamming of the door,' Tom said, slower this time, smirking as he waited for her to react.

'Shit!' Iris muttered, her cheeks tinted pink from the embarrassment of a private conversation being overheard by most of her fellow Slytherins.

'It was quite entertaining, in my opinion. But I must ask that in future, you refrain from such, shall we say show?'

'Okay,' she said quietly, trying to take this as an opportunity to leave.

'Not so fast!'

'Yes?'

'You're out past curfew. You know the consequences.'

'What?' Irish said, the outrage clear in her voice as she turned around the face him once again.

'You heard me. You're out past curfew.'

'Are you serious? You were talking to me!'

'Yes, I was talking to you. How about a compromise?'

'I'm listening.'

'I'll refrain from giving you a detention tonight, but I'll escort you back to the Common Room. Deal?'

Iris considered his offer, wondering if her would have gave the same offer to anyone else, or if she should feel privileged. She decided that she liked the first idea better, yet was unsure if it was the correct answer.

'You have a deal, Mr Riddle.'

Side by side they walked through the now deserted corridors, neither daring to speak, though why neither dared was questionable.

'Thanks for not giving me detention,' Iris said timidly when they were descending the stairs towards the dungeons.

'It was nothing,' Tom replied quietly. 'Do you still want to go to Slughorn's party with me?'

'Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?'

'Well, I heard what Eileen said earlier . . .'

'You're not the only one,' Iris murmured. 'But I am still going,' she said with more confidence in her words. 'I told you, Tom. I like you, and none of the words in the world can change that.'

'You have no idea how relieved I am to hear those words!'

'Very?'

'Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.'

'There's something different about you . . .'

'What do you mean?'

'You've changed since I first met you; a lot. You were the quiet boy in first year, which still managed to wrap everyone around his little finger. Now you don't even bother hiding the fact that you have free reign over your followed. You're more outgoing now, yet you're also more closed in at the same time.'

For a moment, Tom was silent as he tried to work out how to answer. Unsure of how to answer he merely plated it safe with his reply. 'We all change; for good and for bad. You just have to hope that the right change comes out of your decisions.'

'Spoken like a true philosopher'

As they stopped outside the entrance to the Common Room Tom found himself turning towards Iris for the second time this night, his lips capturing hers again, but this time not letting go. His hands ran through her ringlets as if he never wanted to let go as her hands snaked around his neck.

It was the sound of someone clearing their throat that brought the couple back to reality and they resurfaced to realise that they were blocking the entrance.

'Excuse me,' Sarah said, her hazel eyes sparkling at the prospect of even more gossip for one night.

'Detention!' Tom announced automatically. 'For being out past curfew.'

Quickly Sarah said the password and scurried through the entrance, wanting to get away as quickly as she could.

'Are you finished your patrols yet?' Iris asked as the girl disappeared.

With a glance at his watch Tom replied. ''Fraid not. I have another hour to go, but I'll meet you in the Common Room in the morning if you want?'

'Sounds great!' Iris said with a smile. 'Night!'

'Night,' Tom said as the entrance closed behind her, leaving him standing in a cold, empty corridor in the dungeons, ready to finish his patrol for the night.

**X**

'Mornin'' Iris greeted with a warm smile on her face, as Tom joined her on the sofa in one of the darker corners of the room. 'You're early. I wasn't expecting you for a while.'

'Couldn't sleep,' he muttered, picking up the book from beside Iris to examine it.

Judging by his lack of alertness and enthusiasm, Iris decided it was best to move away from the subject. Having known Tom for all of her years at Hogwarts she knew when it was a good idea to drop a subject for another time, or to merely change it and forget about it. In this instance, she decided the former would be the best approach, leaving the topic for a time when she felt more at ease.

'How was the rest of your patrols last night?' Iris asked, deciding that it was a safe topic to bring up.

'Quiet,' he merely answered, staring at the book now with a blank expression on his face.

It was then that she decided to throw caution into the wind.

'Is everything okay, Tom?'

'Yeah. Why do you ask?'

'You see very . . . distant this morning. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.'

'Everything's fine; don't worry about me.'

'If you say so . . .' she said with a sigh. 'You coming down to breakfast?'

'Yeah. If you give me a minute I'll go with you; I have to get something in my room.'

'Sure,' Iris replied, glad that he wasn't shunning her out completely.

Five minutes later, Tom came walking down the boys' staircase, his usual air of power around his, looking empty handed.

'Couldn't find it?' she asked as they walked along the cold, dungeon corridors.

'No, I found it,' he said with a smirk, which told her that he enjoyed the fact that he knew something that she didn't.

Another subject dropped.

'Did you get that charms homework done? I thought it was really hard,' she said, trying once again to make some small talk to make the situation more comfortable.

'Yeah, finished it last night just after I can back from my patrols.'

'Oh. What'd you think of it?'

'It was okay, I guess.'

'Could you help me with charms tonight? I think I'm starting to fall behind.'

'Not tonight; I'm busy. How about tomorrow night?'

He said it so casually that she thought nothing of it, expect that it was probably just some Head Boy duty he had to do, nothing big.

'That would be great.'

'No problem.'

**X**

'Have you noticed something different with Tom?' Iris asked Aimee casually over breakfast, earning her a disapproving look from Eileen.

'No, not really,' Aimee replied. 'But, I guess I've never paid much attention to him . . .' She trailed off and looked sideways at Eileen, who nodded with approval at her answer before deciding to speak for herself.

'You know, Iris, most relationships are built on trust. Maybe Tom just doesn't trust you enough to tell you what's up,' Eileen said. Her voice was casual, but the venom in it was hard to miss.

'Low blow, Eileen,' Iris stated, standing up and picking her bag up from the ground, before repeating, 'low blow . . .' She walked out of the Great Hall in silence, deciding against turning around to see what effect her words had on her friend.

However, had she have looked back, she would have saw Eileen, for the first time ever, speechless, her mouth hanging open ever so slightly in shock as her friends words sank it. Reality hit her in the face as she realised what effect jealousy was having on her, and she didn't like it.


	3. Trying Not To Love You

_You call to me, And I fall at your feet_  
_How could anyone ask for more?_

**Trying Not To Love You**  
**Nickelback**

* * *

Inside the dormitory there was a chill in the air, aside from the nip in the air that October brought with it. Iris found herself spending as little time as possible there, most of her time being spent in the library both alone and with Tom. With the extra time being spent on her studies, her teachers quickly saw a huge improvement in the quality of her work, something that only made them suspicious.

'Professor, I swear it's all my own work!' She found herself being confronted by Professor McGonagall after an afternoon Transfiguration class.

'I'm not saying it isn't your work, it's just that it's a lot higher quality that your previous work. We were just wondering if this increase in work standard has anything to do with your recent partnership with Mr Riddle has anything to do with it.'

'And does the staff always gossip about the personal life of students?'

'Miss Leclair, this is not a question of your personal life. It is a question of whether or not your work is all your own.'

'Professor, I have already said it is all my own work.'

'Well then, I guess that is it all sorted. Thank you for your time.'

**X**

Iris stood in front of the mirror trying to look at herself from every angle so that she could to inspect herself. Girly wouldn't usually be a word she would use to describe herself, however tonight everything changed. She couldn't help but twirl, loving the feeling of the soft, purple lace of her dress as it caressed her legs. She loved how it nipped in at her waist, showing her figure and how the colour of the dress made her skin glow. Her hair fell in soft curls, which carefully she pinned them all to one side so that they fell over her right shoulder.

'You look nice,' Eileen said begrudgingly, before hiding behind her book again, pretending not to be interested.

At the bottom on the stairs into the dormitories, Tom leaned casually on the back of the sofa, loosening his black tie slightly and brushing the non-existent fluff off his freshly ironed jacket. As he watched the stairs as if they may disappear, the first sign of her arrival he saw was a pair of what he thought, although he would never admit out loud, were amazing legs. For the first time he could remember he found himself speechless as Iris seemed to float downstairs with such grace that is rarely viewed in anything other than a fairy-tale.

'You look breath taking,' he whispered softly in her ear, taking a brief moment to play with one of her curls before realising that the whole common room had their eyes on him in disbelief. In one fluid motion he straightened up and, taking his usual long strides, crossed the common room and exited, Iris following behind him in confusion.

'I don't like people watching,' he muttered, when they were outside and alone. She knew it was his way of trying to apologise. 'We should go, before we're late.'

Almost with indifference toward her, Tom began walking, his head held high.

_I should be used to it by now. How quickly he changed from hot to cold. But I'm not. . ._

They could hear the Christmas party before they could see the door into Slughorn's office. Tinsel was strung around the door and a large green and red wreath took the centre spot. Laughter filled the air as they entered the large, lavishly decorated room. Candles hovered in the air, bathing the room with their warm glow.

Iris found herself in a room full of strangers. Hogwart's collection of high fliers and the well-connected were not usually the kind that she would usually mingle with and unconsciously she found her fingers feeling for the familiar grasp of her companions. In what almost seemed like disgust, he moved his hand out of reach; however he did offer a small sign of comfort in the form of a quick upturn of his lips into a small, almost unnoticeable smile.

'Tom, my boy!' Slughorn forced his way through the crowd, almost shoving anyone out of his way if they were in his path. 'So glad you could make it! And you brought a friend; aren't you going to introduce me.'

'This is Miss Iris Leclair,' Tom replied rather shortly.

'Iris, you don't mind me calling you Iris, do you? Of course you don't! Such a natural beauty is quite a rarity these days. You truly are a hidden gem. Where have you been hiding her, Tom?'

His forwardness made her feel a little awkward, she wasn't used to being the centre of attention, even if it was only for a short moment, and was glad that they attention had been shifted away from her.

'She's just a friend, Horace,' Tom curtly answered. 'I thought it would be a shame to deprive one more student of your magnificent gatherings.'

'Always a charmer, Tom. You'll go far. I must introduce you to Orion Black. Have you ever met him? Such a gifted young boy, I think you two would really hit it off.'

Iris watched as Slughorn led Tom off, hand on his shoulder directing him through the ever increasing crowd. She decided to try and navigate her way through to try and find a refreshment table.

'My green eyed beauty. .' Leaning casually on the refreshment table, his emerald green tie loosely knotted and a hand running through his golden hair, Caspian looked at her with a lust that made her uncomfortable under his gaze. 'It is a pleasure to have such a breath-taking sight to look at all evening, instead of the usual distasteful array of women.'

'I came over here for a drink, not to be harassed,' Iris sharply retorted, helping herself to a cup of punch from the table.

'I would be careful with that,' Caspian said with a wink. 'It might be a little strong for you.'

With indifference to his statement, Iris took one look at him before taking a large mouthful from her mouth, before spitting it back into the cup again, destroying any illusion of elegance she may have had.

'I told you so. Now, let's dance. You owe me at least one dance; after all, you didn't wait for me to go to Hogsmeade after you _promised_.'

She didn't know why, maybe it was how cold Tom had been treating her and she wanted to get back at him, maybe she craved the attention he gave her, or maybe, just maybe, somewhere deep down she had a soft spot of Caspian Avery, but for whatever reason she found herself agreeing, and the pair made their way into centre of the crowd. His softness as he brushed a stray curl out of her face surprised her, as did how lightly he grasped her hand, almost as if it were made of the finest porcelain.

'Would it be so hard to be this nice all the time?' Iris asked, looking up at him as they gentle swayed in time to the music.

'Nice isn't one of my strong points; but with the right tutor, I think I could gain a new skill.' he replied, pulling her closer to close the gap between their bodies, before adding, 'after all, the whole common room is talking about your late night study sessions with Riddle, I might benefit from a few of those.'

Quickly she pulled away. 'Tom and I are _just_ friends! I don't know what you're trying to imply, but you are _wrong_!'

'Sweetie, I'm not implying anything, I'll just come out and say it. Riddle's hardly using you for your mind. He's using you for your body and I'd just love the chance to do that as well.'

'You foul beast! That is just-'. However, before she could finish, she was cut off as Caspian reclosed the gap between them and placing a strong hand behind her head, forced her lips to meet his. She could sense his growing lust, as the hand behind her head pulled her curls out of their fastenings and prevented her from pulling away. His body against hers felt wrong is more ways than she could describe and she felt helpless, left wishing that someone would save her.

Rather violently, she was ripped away from Caspian's grip and thrown backwards, leading on the ground. A little dazed about what had just happened, it took her a moment to regain her bearings and when she did she found Tom standing in front of her, a hand outstretched to help her up. Upon standing up she found all eyes on her and on the unmoving body in the centre of the circle the onlookers had made. The unmoving body belonging to Caspian Avery.

Without as much as a word, Tom lead her through the crowd and out into the corridor.

'I shouldn't have left you alone.'

'Did you kill him?' Her question was not more than a whisper and her eyes bore into him, looking for any signs that he might not be all truthful.

'He will live,' was the reply she received, leaving her with more questions than she started with, yet she felt like now was not the time to ask. 'It's getting late; I should walk you back to your dormitory.'

**X**

'Did you hear. . ?'

'I heard Avery was brought to St Mungo's last night. .'

'I heard his father was pressing charges. .'

'I heard Slughorn was cheering Riddle on. .'

'I heard him say Riddle was sleeping with _her_. .'

'I heard it's none of your business!'

Iris was sick of whispers following her the following day. He said. She said. It was all a little childish for her and on more than one occasion she had exploded, shouting at various groups of gossiping, giggling girls. In the end, she had decided the best thing to do was just avoid everyone, and that is why she found herself spending the night sitting alone in an empty classroom in the dungeons.

'I hear that, sometime around February, you will be giving birth to my heir.'

'I don't know who told you that, but I can confirm that it is not, nor will it ever be true!' She found her anger subsiding as she turned around and found herself getting lost into the depth of Tom's eyes. 'Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else. .'

'I see no reason for you to apologise, you were merely voicing your feelings, and now I shall voice mine. I shouldn't have left you alone, I should have been watching over you.'

'Tom, I'm a big girl, I can look after myself.'

'Iris, there are very few things in this world that I care about, and for some reason unknown to me, you have become one of them. I will protect you. I will keep you safe.'

'Tom, I don't need protecting. Like I've said, I'm a big girl.'

'So you would have been alright last night, had I not stepped in?' The smug look on his face showed that he clearly through he had won the argument, and her feeble muttering in reply only confirmed this.

**X**

'Slut.'

'Eileen, I'm sorry if you feel like I stole Tom from you, but I didn't. I never had any intention other than sitting beside him in potions and, hopefully, doing a little better than just scraping a pass. You should know by now that I would _never_ deliberately hurt you, it just happened. I'm sorry it happened the way it did, it just happened. .'

Setting her book down with a sigh, Eileen turned to her old friend and sad, 'I _know_ it wasn't your fault. I guess that's what annoyed me the more. That I spent six years trying everything I could think of to get his attention, and in one moment, without even wanting it or trying to get it, you got all his attention and now it's almost like his world revolves around you. I _want_ to have you for it but I cant. Because I know it isn't your fault he doesn't like me. I know it isn't your fault he likes you. I was a giant fool. Sorry.'

'You don't know how happy I am to hear you speak to me again,' Iris replied, launching herself on top of Eileen, wrapping her arms around her in hug as if she was seeing her friend for the first time in years. 'I'm sorry too.'

'So you like him. .' She could hear the hurt in her friend's voice, but there was no resentment mixed in with it.

'I do. I never thought of myself as the kind of girl to swoon over a boy before, but he's different than I ever imagined he would be. There's just something about him. .'

'Did he really send Avery to St Mungo's last night?'

'I don't know. We didn't really talk about what happened. . I didn't even see what happened to Avery and there's than many false rumours going around I don't know what I can believe.'

'So you aren't having his baby?' she questioned hopefully.

'I am not having his, or anyone else's, baby. Yet. .'


End file.
